Advertise on podcast: Offshore Sailing and Cruising with Paul Trammell

After many years of preparation, Dave and Beth Mortell bought a catamaran and took off with their daughter Landon and their two dogs. But tragedy struck early and they lost their boat to a fire in The Bahamas. Instead of giving up the dream, they bounced back, bought a Leopard 45 and took off from Florida again, sailing the Caribbean, Panama, and the South Pacific. They were in New Caledonia when I interviewed them. We talk about New Caledonia, clearing in to the Loyalty Islands, Sail Time and learing to sail, starting a boat fund with $200, kids on a boats, homeschooling, international travel, getting rid of stuff in order to leave land for good, monohulls and catamarans, comfort vs speed, if boats have souls, sailing with a schedule, working with a weather router, heaving-to in a catamaran, heavy weather, a boat that hit a whale and sank, life rafts, loosing their first catamaran to a fire, deciding to buy another boat and try again, bouncing back, confidence, kid boats, finding your people, making friends while cruising, loneliness and community, favorite passages, finding growth outside our comfort zones, and more. Photos and links are on the podcast shownotes page Support the show through Patreon Shop for or sell sailboats at SailboatsForSale.com Get marine electrical help from Meridian Marine Electrial Shop LED navigation lights at Signal Mate

Colm Walker was signed up to race in the Golden Globe Race (GGR), but was not able to make the start. He was in Mexico the last time he was on the show, then sailed to Panama, through the canal, and all the way to France, solo and nonstop, in his Tayana 37. We talk about the GGR competitors, Matthew Wright's Galicia a Galicia circumnavigation, the mental strain of being stuck in light air, sailing through squalls, suffering from the desire to be somewhere else, his decision not to do the GGR (this year), sailing into the Sitran fleet on his way in to Les Sables d'Olonne, leaks in his boat, plans to do the 2030 GGR, the Golden Globe Race family, solitude, solo sailing - who enjoys it and who does not, GGR history, the point at which we feel the exhale, the passage from Mexico to Panama, sailing with an incomplete sail wardrobe, building confidence offshore, the Panama Canal, using an agent to transit the canal, the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race, Guy Waites, the pass/fail mental aspect of the GGR, his passage from Panama through the Caribbean and on to France, the Windward Passage, Cuba, rough weather, sailing downwind, slowing down and dealing with difficult situations, lightning, navigation, celestial navigation, sailing without modern instruments, different reasons people enjoy sailing, a solar eclpise, listening to the boat, letting the boat swing, the zen of sailing offshore, meditation, letting go of attachment and suffering, preparing mentally for long offshore passanges like the GGR, having an external dialogue with yourself, the importance of not rushing, Spain and Portugal, a dream boat, the Mini Globe Race, and more.

The Golden Globe Race (GGR) is underway again. Many of the skippers from past and present races have been on the podcast. In this episode, I have made a compilation of past GGR racers talking about the mental strain of the race, storms, and other difficult situations. Included are Ertan Beskardes, Guy Waites, Simon Curwen, Kirsten Neuschafer, Elliot Smith, and Pat Lawless.  Photos and links are on the podcast shownotes page Support the show through Patreon Shop for or sell sailboats at SailboatsForSale.com Get marine electrical help from Meridian Marine Electrial Shop LED navigation lights at Signal Mate

Ambre Hasson learned to sail in 2020, then after owning a small cruising boat, she decided to train for the Mini Transat. She got the ball rolling, but lost her boat while qualifying for the 2023 Mini Transat race. Ambre persisted, got a new boat, prepared it, qualified, and completed the 2025 Mini Transat. She then sailed acrtoss the Atlatic back to France, her home country, in a Class 40. We talk about the 2025 Mini Transat, hiding from a hurricane in Peniche, Portugal, whales, hand-steering, tuning your autopilot, hand-steering pros and cons, why planing boats don't use windvane autopilots, beautiful moments on the ocean, the stars and bioluminescense, getting in tune with the weather, predicting wind shifts, squalls, thermal winds, clouds, sailing from Martinique back to France in the winter, comparing the mini 6.50 to a class 40, sailing two-handed, hallucinations, a visit from JarJar Binks, symptoms of sleep deprivation, losing her boat on the rocks in 2023 and lessons learned, and more. Photos and links are on the podcast website Sail in New England with Sailing Resolution List or browse sailboats on sailboatsforsale.com Shop tankless dive systems from BLU3 Shop sailing navigation lioghts from Signal Mate

Tim Skillman is a long-time sailor and author of "Looped: from the Staits of Mackinac to the Bitter End," a book about his mid-life-crisis journey from the Great Lakes down the Illinois, Ohio, Tennessee and Tombigbee  rivers to the Gulf of Mexico and on to the Virgin Islands on a Cheoy Lee 53. We talk about growing up racing small boats in Michigan, buying an Erickson 46, the secret to not getting burned out on maintaining a boat, lunch with Richard Branson, meeting his future wife on the beach, the journey down from the great lakes to the Gulf of Mexico, walking away from his career and family, dealing with the locks and river traffic, why he avoided the Missisippi River, entering the Gulf of Mexico, Key West, crossing the bank between Key West and Nassua, sailing to a foreign country for the first time, a shark encounter while spearfishing in The Bahamas, the Dominican Republic, guns on the boat, the Virgin Islands, an awakening, the San Blas Islands, the Guna people, aliens, and more. Photos and links are on the podcast shownotes page Support the show through Patreon Shop for or sell sailboats at SailboatsForSale.com Sail in New England / Canada with Sailing Resolution Get marine electrical help from Meridian Marine Electrial Shop LED navigation lights at Signal Mate

Captain Ryan Rayfield runs Sail Libra, an offshore sailing charter operation aboard a 60' ketch built in 1969 by Abeking & Rasmussen and designed by William H. Tripp Jr. Based in Newport, RI. They sail around New England, to Bermuda, to the Caribbean, and will sail to the Azores and Portugal in 2027. Ryan is a USCG-licensed STCW A-2 Internationally endorsed captain. We talk about sailing from Newport around Long Island Sound and New York City, the East River closure when the UN is in session, anchoring in NYC, a failure of the exhaust anti-siphoning valve and fixing the resulting problem with water in the engine, champagne sailing, flying a spinnaker, racing vs cruising, sail changes, roller furling, dealing with the general public and taking them aboard, sailing upwind (or not), maintaining a 60' offshore sailboat, licensing required for an offshore charter operation, STCW certification, whether or not you need a USCG license to operate a charter operation in a foreign country, other certifications, chartering laws, endorsements, insurance, openings for Bermuda to St. Thomas, orcas, and more.  Photos and links are on the podcast website Sail in New England with Sailing Resolution List or browse sailboats on sailboatsforsale.com Shop tankless dive systems from BLU3 Shop sailing navigation lioghts from Signal Mate

Pure Yachts is a new German shipyard based in Kiel, northern Germany, building high-performance aluminum cruising yachts featuring hydraulic-lift keel systems, modern planing hull lines, and the use of lightweight composite materials for the interior components. Their boats use the highest quality aluminium and top-shelf components to make them long lasting, secure and fit for world-wide bluewater cruising and high-latitude expeditions. We talk about sailing in the Baltic Sea, the details of the yachts they build, custom hatches, precision design and boat building, boat performance in various conditions, the advantages of fast high-performance boats, their design philosophy and market niche, the expected lifespan of a Pure Yacht, things owners need to know about aluminum boats, the portlights, bulkheads (or not), construction of the aluminum hull, the lifting keel, dual rudders, drying out, customization, and more. Photos and links are on the podcast shownotes page Support the show through Patreon Shop for or sell sailboats at SailboatsForSale.com Sail in New England / Canada with Sailing Resolution Get marine electrical help from Meridian Marine Electrial Shop LED navigation lights at Signal Mate

Richard and Judith sail a Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 410. They were on the show in June of 2025 and have a YouTube Chanel "Sailing Helios" and a Vimeo chanel "Sailing Helios Naturally," where they may or may not be clothed.  Richard and Judith were in Cartagen, Spain when I spoke with them, and we talk about Cartagena and the marina, learning foreign languages, the people and culture in Spain, whether to stay longer in the Med or go to the Caribbean, the pros and cons of visiting new places vs familiar places, the Balearics, Air B&B and how it's changed the tourism industry, storms in the Med, a windlass problem, dragging anchor in a storm, ditching the anchor to save the boat, an angle grinder, the friendliest people, dinghies, outboards both gasoline and electric, watermakers, induction stoves, Lookout mast cameras, Sailproof tablets, Smartboatia, their YouTube channel, their OnlyFans channel, and more. Support the show through Patreon Links and Photos are at https://www.paultrammell.com/offshoresailingandcruising Shop dinghy lights at https://showmeyourdinghy.com/ Sail with Sailing Resolution Shop or list sailboats at SailboatsforSale.com Shop tankless dive systems at diveblu3.com

You might remember Olivia Wyatt from two previous episodes. She sails a Robert Perry Panda 34 solo and has been sailing around the world visiting remote places and documenting indigenous people in her instagram posts.  We talk about Namibia and why she loves it, the magical landscape, the wildlife, Walvis Bay, language, clearing in to various countries, a roller-furling problem and how she dealt with it, foul weather in the Indian Ocean, locking the wheel while using the Hydrovane, a spirit that lives in her boat, guiding voices, freediving, nitrogen narcosis, the lemurs of madagascar, sailing solo and when a second person would be ideal, The Golden Globe Race and her alternate plan, the indigenous people of Namibia, a proposition from a chief, the friendliest people, the places she would live if she had to pick from places she has been, modifications and additions she has made to her boat, her Hydrovane, a UFO sighting, alien abductions, finding adventure every day, why she chose to back out of the GGR, seven years of bliss, cold water, and more. Photos and links are on the podcast shownotes page Support th show through Patreon Shop for or sell sailboats at SailboatsForSale.com Sail in New England / Canada with Sailing Resolution Sail California / Hawaii with Shearwater Sailing Get marine electrical help from Meridian Marine Electrial

Diana Vega was the first mate aboard Team UNICEF in the 2025-2026 Clipper Round The Wolrd Yacht Race, a circumnavigation on one-design 70' ocean racing yachts with professional skippers and amateur crew. Diana grew up sailing in Cowes, started sailing professionally during the pandemic, and went on to crew in the Solent and Caribbean. She co-skippered the Clipper Race with skipper Guy Waites. The race started in Portsmouth, UK, then stopped in Spain, Uruguay, South Africa, West Australia, East Australia, The Phillipines, China, South Korea, Seattle, Panama, Washington DC, Scotland, and back to Portsmouth.  We talk about completing the race and what it was like to finish, the accomplishment of circumnavigating and taking 50 amateur crew safely around the world, an injury and medical evacuation during heavy weather off Japan, a rogue wave, tethers, their sail wardrobe, safety, when to clip in with a tether, things she learned from her skipper Guy Waites, the crew, the stars, how sailing humbles us, the mysterious green flash, UFO's, hand-steering, not helming to the instruments, the North Pacific, books, heavy weather, the Bay of Biscay, future sailing plans, cruising vs racing, navigating the high-traffic of the South China Sea, dealing with fleets of fishing boats, transfering to another boat, managing a crew, and more. Support the show through Patreon Links and Photos are at https://www.paultrammell.com/offshoresailingandcruising Shop tankless dive systems at diveblu3.com Shop dinghy lights at https://showmeyourdinghy.com/ Sail with Sailing Resolution Shop or list sailboats at SailboatsforSale.com

MIke and Danielle live aboard their Catalina 34 in La Paz Mexico. They recently bought another boat, a 1999 Catalina 42, in Virginia and sailed her to Panama, where I met them. On the way, they were forced to stop in Cuba to fix their motor and were able to explore and cruise a bit.   We talk about their boat, Panama, poisonous snakes, immigration in the US and the current political climate, discovering surf breaks, sailing down the US East Coast, sailing to Cuba, entering and clearing in to Cuba, the Cuban people, the embargo, politics, Castro, propaganda, Cuban fishermen, generosity, home-made boats, spearfishing for sharks, lobster, Mexico, and more. Photos and links are on the podcast shownotes page Shop for or sell sailboats at SailboatsFroSale.com Sail in New England / Canada with Sailing Resolution Sail California / Hawaii with Shearwater Sailing Get marine electrical help from Meridian Marine Electrial

Allison and James bought a Catalina 30 just a few years ago, taught themselves how to sail, and took off to explore Alaska.  We talk about meeting and deciding to make plans to buy a boat, learn to sail, and explore Alaska by boat; their boat, a 1979 Catalina 30, Uintah; going from an airstream to a sailboat, setting sailing goals, learning by the school of hard knocks, wheel vs tiller, towing the sailboat by rowing a dinghy, sinking and on fire, Desolation Sound, making the call to go on the first adventure, solar and batteries, lifting the anchor without a windlass, sheet-to-tiller steering, hand steering, foulweather gear, sailing around glacial ice, anchoring in deep water and stern-tying, challenging anchorages, orcas, bears, an encounter with a grizzly bear, their dream boat, and more. Support the show through Patreon Links and Photos are at https://www.paultrammell.com/offshoresailingandcruising Shop dinghy lights at https://showmeyourdinghy.com/ Sail with Sailing Resolution Shop or list sailboats at SailboatsforSale.com

Brendan and Channel Moore live aboard and sail a Norseman 447. They recently sailed from Florida to The Bahamas and on to Panama.  We talk about sailing across the Gulf Stream to The Bahamas, a leaking hatch, clearing in to The Bahamas in Great Cay - Berry Islands, other islands in The Berrys, fishing, the new fishing permit in The Bahamas, sharks, the San Blas islands, barracudas, trouble with the starter, a fierce squall while at anchor, trouble at Highbourne Cay, anchoring and scope, setting 2 anchors, sailing from Great Inagua to Panama in June, losing the autopilot, trees and fishing gear in the water, big seas in the Caribbean Sea, scary moments, a whisker-pole incident, dream boats, selecting a boat, dream upgrades, and more. photos and links are on the podcast website support the show through patreon shop or sell a sailboat at https://sailboatsforsale.com/ get electrical help at https://www.meridian-marine-electrical.com/ sail New England and Canada with Sailing Resolution sail California/Hawaii with Shearwater Sailing to sail on Galiana with Tapio Lehtinen email Paul Trammell at [email protected] and put "sailing" in the subject line

Brian Hathaway was in Marina del Rey, California, where he left from in February 2022 at the beginning of his circumnavigation, during this intervierw, after completing a circumnavigation on his Hunter 44 DS. We talk about how a circumnavigation changes you, what it's like to complete one, readjusting to life in civilization, staying at a marina in California vs Mexico, haul-out facilities, an incident with a crazy doc worker at a marina, choosing a Hunter to circumnavigate and all the doubters, the pros and cons of a production boat, running warps, drogues, weather routing, weather forecasting, squalls, lightning, sailing in the Gulf Stream, crossing the Panama Canal, the Las Perlas islands, Golfito Costa Rica, insurance, the peril of disregarding the laws in foreign countries, we debate about tethers, EPIRB's and PLB's, other safety gear, a problem with the rubrail, the importance of officially finishing the circumnavigation, finding happiness, meditation, anxiety, love of sailing, and more. links and photos are on the podcast website support the show through Patreon sail New England and Canada with Sailing Resolution shop tankless dive systems at BLU3 browse or list sailboats for sail at sailboatsforsale.com

Gaurav Shinde lives and sails on Lake Ontario in Toronto, Canada. He was entered in the 2022 GGR with "Good Hope," his Baba 35, but injured his shoulder on the way to France and had to drop out of the race.  His need for adventure was cultivated by his late grandfather at a very early age, starting with climbing and hiking in the Western Ghats of India. Gaurav was introduced to sailing at the Sea Cadet Corps Training Ship Jawahar and found what he was born to do. After winning several offshore sailing championships in India, Gaurav decided to take on the challenge of the Clipper Round The World Yacht Race in 2013-14. He sailed on the Mission Performance team and was part of the team in their highest finishing position in the race. We talk about recovering from his shoulder injury that kept him out of the 2022 GGR, sailing in Bombay, racing on Lake Ontario, dealing with a broken jib halyard in a storm, making important decisions, adventure, what works on Lake Ontario, converting hisboat back to a family cruising yacht from a GGR boat, varnishing, sailing in India, his plans to sail to India, helping frineds get miles, the route from Toronto to India, the beauty of a forgiving boat, electronics, Starlink, the 2026 GGR and the skippers, dream boats, he tells the story of how he injured his shoulder before the 2022 GGR, finding the silver lining behind injuries, and more.